Climate and Ag in the news
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Even though Georgia is known as the Peach State, there are many other fruit crops that are important agricultural products for the state. Blueberries is the biggest contributor to the state’s agricultural production, but other crops are also starting to gain traction in the state, too. This recent article from WSB radio discusses the booming…
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Space weather is not something we talk about very often in this blog, but solar storms that bring charged particles towards the earth can cause significant disruptions in communications. The worst ones, like the Carrington event in 1859 that disrupted telegraph service around the world, can shut down anything that is affected by strong electric…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
NOAA and other organizations have now completed their analysis of the global climate for 2023. Every one of them shows that 2023 was the warmest year in record (since records began in 1880) by quite a bit. This is due to the strong El Nino, the rapidly warming Arctic, and the record-setting warm ocean temperatures…
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Many people claim to be affected by weather patterns such as high or low pressure, low humidity, and other factors. They are linked to joint pain, migraines, and other health issues. One of my colleagues, Dr. Chris Elcik of the UGA Geography/Atmospheric Sciences program, has studied how people sensitive to weather are eager to get…
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The wet spring in 2023 and the hot, dry conditions in many parts of the peanut-growing region last year caused yield reductions in many fields, even those that were irrigated, according to this story in Delta Farm Progress. The wet spring delayed planting, resulting in younger plants that were less able to withstand the effects…
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I have heard a lot of stories about people and businesses that have been affected by flooding after this week’s heavy rain. The Washington Post published a story in late December about the move by a number of states to require sellers to disclose more than just the FEMA flood plain designation for their properties.…
Posted in: Climate and Ag in the news -
Many areas of the Southeast received very heavy rain in the storm earlier this week. In Georgia, I have heard reports of up to 7 inches or even more in a few isolated locations. Since there is not much growing right now, that heavy rain has likely caused problems on some farm fields with erosion…